Inside the residence, time stood still.
The Cullen family remained frozen in their positions like statues, but their senses were screaming.
Their ears caught the sound coming from the other side of the door... his heartbeats.
Thump-thump... thump-thump...
It was a slow, constant, and terrifyingly relaxed heart rhythm.
The man who had just pulverized three vampires without breaking a sweat was breathing calmly.
There were no spikes of adrenaline, no smell of bloodlust, nor a trace of hostility.
Only an unnatural calm.
The seconds felt eternal and the doorbell didn't ring again.
Lief simply waited.
Finally, it was Carlisle who, taking a deep breath and trying to suppress his unease, took a heavy step toward the entrance.
"Don't go!" sobbed Esme, grabbing his arm with desperation.
Carlisle stopped for an instant and gave her a comforting look.
"Esme, we can't hide forever," he said firmly, "If he rang the doorbell, it means there is still some margin."
His words sought not only to persuade his wife, but to convince himself.
He gently broke free from Esme's grip, adjusted his shirt collar reflexively, and walked toward that door which, at that moment, seemed like the thin line separating existence from extinction.
When his hand closed over the cold metal knob, the hearts of his entire family seemed to leap into their throats.
Click
He turned it and the door opened softly inward.
Lief Connor was there, framed by the grayish light of the rainy afternoon.
The crossbow rested casually on his shoulder, and a smile was drawn on his face that, although not openly aggressive, felt deeply invasive.
Seeing the door open, Lief nodded courteously.
"Good afternoon."
Without waiting for an invitation, he took a step forward and crossed the threshold.
Thud
Emmett, betrayed by his own nerves, had unconsciously backed away and bumped into a piece of furniture, knocking over a vase.
But Lief didn't flinch and his gaze swept the room without haste, evaluating the vampires who were backing away and grouping into defensive positions.
Seeing the fear in their eyes, he extended his empty hand and his smile widened.
"Relax, you're very tense," he said and nodded toward the entrance, "By the way, just for the record: I wasn't the one who broke the door. That was already like that when I arrived."
His joke was not well received since no one was able to laugh.
His presence displaced the air and made the atmosphere feel dangerous.
Everyone looked at him in silence, unable to say anything.
And just in that moment of paralysis, a small and fragile figure moved, stepping directly between them and Lief.
It was Bella.
The only common human, the weakest and most vulnerable creature in the room, gathered courage in that instant.
She opened her arms and although her hands were trembling visibly, she looked directly into Lief's eyes.
"They... they have never harmed anyone!" she shouted with a nervous voice, but full of conviction, "They aren't like the others, they only drink animal blood! Please... could you leave them alone?"
?
Lief stood half-stunned by the scream, considering that they were close and that it was an enclosed space... it was unnecessary to shout.
His smile faded slowly, replaced by an expression of genuine curiosity.
"You think so?" he asked returning the question, "Bella, think about it carefully."
He took a slow step toward her.
"They have lived for hundreds of years. They have gone through centuries of wars, plagues, famines, etc... and during all that infinite time, do you really believe they haven't hurt even a single human? Are you sure their hands are as clean as they tell you?"
He locked his gaze on hers intensely.
"How can you know if what you say is true? Because they told you so?"
Those constant questions hit Bella like a wall, leaving her speechless.
She opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out.
Then her mind went "Click", now she was aware... she was just a seventeen-year-old teenager who had just entered this world. Everything she knew about the Cullens' morality came from what Edward had told her in the last weeks.
She trusted him with her life, but... could she really guarantee, with absolute certainty, that they hadn't done anything wrong?
Under Lief's analytical gaze, doubt blossomed, and Bella kept silent.
Seeing that she remained wordless, Carlisle intervened. Placing himself gently in front of her, assuming the burden.
This was his moment... it was his duty.
His years dealing with all kinds of people told him that the young man in front of him, although he had lethal power, did not emanate the bloodlust of a psychopathic killer. If he hadn't fired as soon as he crossed the door, it meant that violence wasn't his only language.
"Hello, Mr. Connor," he began with a cultured voice, "I am Doctor Carlisle Cullen."
He kept his hands visible and relaxed, projecting calm.
"In the first place, I must thank you for intervening and neutralizing the threat that those three represented a few moments ago and although I must admit that your methods were... extremely definitive," he chose his words with care, "In the second place, regarding what Bella was trying to say, I give you my word. In the last decades, my family and I have never harmed a human being. In fact we have dedicated our existence to mastering our nature, seeking to integrate into society."
Lief arched an eyebrow, clearly skeptical but intrigued.
Noticing that he hadn't been interrupted, Carlisle continued.
"I am aware that you have many doubts, and it is natural. Likewise, we are full of curiosity toward you, but remaining standing here, in a tense confrontation in front of the children, will solve nothing. If you don't mind, I would like to invite you to my private study. I think there are many points we must discuss in detail."
"..."
Lief stared at him for a few seconds, evaluating him. Then, his gaze drifted toward the rest and the corner of his lips lifted.
"Seems fair," he accepted, "I am curious to hear your defense, Doctor."
While he spoke, he took the heavy crossbow off his shoulder.
"Hold this for a moment, big guy."
Without warning, he tossed the weapon to the nearest one, Emmett.
Involuntarily, Emmett reacted and extended his arms to catch it, but the moment his hands made contact with the metal, his entire body jerked downward.
"Oof!"
With a face of disbelief, he grunted while his knees bent and the floor creaked under his feet.
He had to activate all his strength in a split second just to prevent the weapon from crashing against the floor.
This thing weighed tons!
Lief didn't even turn to see if he had managed to hold it; he simply walked past, following Carlisle toward the study with his hands in his pockets.
Click
The instant the door closed, the tense atmospheric pressure in the living room dissipated suddenly, allowing the family to breathe again.
"Damn it..." whispered Emmett, looking at the weapon in his hands with respect, "If this falls, it will go through the foundation to the basement."
"Oh my God..." Rosalie slumped against the nearest wall, losing her composure for a moment, "What kind of monster is he...?"
Edward turned sharply toward his little sister.
"Alice, and now? Has anything changed? Can you see what they are talking about?" He said urgently.
Alice, who had been staring at the closed door with wide eyes, shook her head while smiling bitterly.
"What do you think?"
She brought a hand to her temple, frustrated.
'With him here, my vision is useless.'
…
The living room had become a purgatory of silence and anxiety.
The crowd remained plunged in a helpless wait where every second stretched until it seemed like an hour.
Maybe it was ten minutes, maybe a century in an hourglass.
But suddenly…
Click
The study door opened.
All gazes converged there instantly, prepared for the worst... however, what they saw left them completely open-mouthed.
Carlisle and Lief came out one after the other, walking with an air of disconcerting civility.
The most shocking thing was not that they were alive, but that both were smiling. Carlisle's smile was one of relief, Lief's smile, on the other hand, was a bright one, very bright.
"So, it has been a pleasure doing business with you, Doctor Cullen," he said stopping in the middle of the room and extending his hand.
"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Connor. Thank you for your flexibility," replied Carlisle shaking the hand firmly.
The image caused a short circuit in those present.
Business? Flexibility? What the hell had just happened in there?
"Well, I won't disturb your family gathering anymore. You have a lot to process and I have things to do." Lief turned toward Emmett, who was still holding the crossbow with his arms trembling from the effort.
With a fluid movement, Lief grabbed the weapon.
The instant the weight left Emmett's hands, he stumbled forward, letting out a sigh of relief while massaging his sore forearms.
Lief, on the other hand, loaded the weapon of "tons" onto his shoulder.
He walked toward the exit with a relaxed step, whistling a low melody.
!
But just before leaving, he stopped. He turned around, put his hand in his jacket pocket and took out a black business card with blood crimson letters.
He took two steps back and handed it to Carlisle.
"I almost forgot. This is my direct number," he said with a more commercial tone, "If in the future you encounter any other 'annoying' problem that escapes your pacifist hands, you can contact me at any time. My rates are fair, the service is discreet and I have a strict policy: I don't scam children or the elderly."
Having said that, he waved his hand in a casual dismissal, turned around and left, disappearing under the curtain of rain as if he had never been there.
The door closed.
And only when his presence vanished completely did the family seem to revive and instantly surrounded Carlisle like a tide of questions.
"What happened in there?" Edward was the first to reach his side, "Are you okay?"
"What did you talk about?" asked Rosalie, incredulous.
"Collaboration? Business?" Emmett was still rubbing his arms, "Didn't he threaten you?"
Facing the interrogation, Carlisle raised a hand, asking for silence and so it was done.
He looked at the expressions on his family's faces: a mixture of relief and absolute confusion about the how.
Sighing deeply he looked at the business card in his hand with an ironic and somewhat bitter smile.
He shook his head, put the card in his pocket and looked at his children with wisdom.
"Money is power."
________
Time: If you're craving more (and I know you are!), I have just what you need. On my Patreon, you'll find exclusive chapters. Join our community and be the first to discover what happens next!
👉 [patreon.com/Athome790]
Your support fuels me. Thank you for the support! 💖